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As far as things go for Hollister, there is no need for Santa to come to town—he already lives there. Eddie Escamilla, or “Santa Ed,” has been playing that role for county children for over 15 years.
“I’ve been doing the Santa thing ever since my kids were in grade school,” Escamilla said. “I borrowed a suit to go there and do my first ‘Ho-ho-hos’ as a Santa. I just loved it, ordered my own suit and I look forward to wearing it every Christmas.”
Escamilla served for 25 years with the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, retiring in 2019 just in time to take over as the official Santa Claus for the Hollister Downtown Association Lights On Parade.
“When John Gibbs, who had been Santa, was thinking about retiring,” Escamilla said, “he wanted me to take his place. So me and my wife Teri became Santa and Mrs. Claus.”
For authenticity, Escamilla added some custom-made touches, including tall black boots and a leather belt made by Amish craftsmen. He also grew a full beard, much to the consternation of his wife.
“Teri would love me to shave it,” he said. “But when you wear a fake beard, the kids can’t see your facial expression or make eye contact when you talk to them. I get a lot of compliments on it, so the beard is going to stay.”
Escamilla said that his love for the role is rooted, in part, in his childhood, when seeing Santa was not always possible.
“My dad worked all the time providing for us,” he said. “We often weren’t able to enjoy things like going to see Santa. So, it means a lot to me to be able to bring a happy face to a child. It’s just a beautiful feeling.”
Some children, of course, are hesitant to approach Santa and Escamilla does his best to read their body language and ease their concerns.
“I entice them in with a candy cane or just talk to them,” he said. “I compliment their dresses or their sweaters. Anything that allows the kid to know that Santa’s paying attention. There are a lot of kids out there that love Santa and you can’t ignore them.”
Other children might become shy when talking to him and he has a trick for them as well: a golden key attached to his belt, which he tells kids is the key to the mailbox at the North Pole.
“I’ll say, ‘You see this key I have right here?’” he said. “‘When you remember what you want from Santa, you could write a letter to Santa and give it to your mom or dad and they will mail it to me. And I’ll be sure to open up that mailbox and get your letter.’”
The toughest children, Escamilla said, are the ones who do not ask for material things but might only be wishing for a truly merry Christmas.
“I wish I was the real Santa and could bless their needs,” he said. “For some, they are not asking for a toy or clothing or anything. They’re asking for happiness in their family. I was with the Sheriff’s Office, so I know a lot of things that go on. And my heart really goes out to those kids.”
This year, besides his role in the parade, Escamilla made guest appearances at the Veterans Dinner and filled in for Max Martinez as San Juan Bautista’s longtime Santa when he was unable to take on the role.
“I have seen Max out on the street before as Santa and I know he was having a hard time with his health,” he said. “Hopefully, he’ll be well enough, Lord willing, to take his spot again next year.”
Recently, Escamilla served as Santa at Enterprise Martial Arts at the annual Christmas party organized by owner Mark Preader.
“It’s a great thing for our younger students to be able to talk to Santa for Christmas,” he said. “At Enterprise, we teach kids to always have a kind spirit and that’s what Santa represents. The spirit of kindness, the spirit of love and the spirit of giving. And this Santa did an outstanding job.”
Escamilla said the key to being a great Santa is in wanting to make the lives of children just a little happier during the holiday season.
“I’m not in this for the money,” he said. “I do it because it blesses my heart to be able to bring joy to the kids. And you know, it’s amazing. It’s kind of being like a superhero.”
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